Hooting for the home team: Seymour pair amp up Owl enthusiasm

Gray Nelson was exhausted, drenched in sweat and had lost most of his voice as he walked out of Bulleit Stadium after the Owls’ first home football game of the season Aug. 17.

You would think he had just played the game of his life, but Nelson, a senior, never stepped onto the field. Instead, he was up in the stands leading the student section in cheer after cheer.

From yelling out a student’s name in recognition of a play or dancing and acting silly in the name of school spirit, the student cheer block is a long honored tradition at Seymour High School. Taking up an entire section of bleachers, the group plans ahead for the games, choosing a theme and making sure everyone knows what it is and wears appropriate attire.

The first home game was tie-dye night, and the following Friday was a Hawaiian luau, complete with inflatable palm trees, beach balls and Nelson wearing a grass skirt and coconut bikini top. The themes are chosen by student government.

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